India

Indian Culture

India – Brief Introduction
Capital: New Delhi
Largest City: Mumbai
Official Language: Hindi, English
Area: 3,287,240 ‡ km 2
Population: 2009 estimate 1,198,003,000
GDP 2008 (nominal): Total $1.206 trillion
Currency: Indian rupee
Religions: Hinduism, Muslim, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism

Symbols of India The National Flag The National Emblem (An adaptation of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka) The National Flower - Lotus

Geography
Seventh largest country in the world
Largest population in the world
India is also a popular tropical
tourist attraction with many resort
hotels scattered across the coastal
areas and islands

Politics, Wars and Fears

Politics
Democratic Republic
It gives tourists a sense of safety and familiarity and is seen to be an Asian destination that balances modernization and
globalization with exotic elements
and Asian culture (like HK)
Some cities and areas of India are considered “Easy Asia” for tourists.
India states by political parties

Wars
Indo-Pakistani Wars
Both India and Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947 and almost immediately plunged into war concerning the Jammu-Kashmir region.
Hospitality and Service industries need to be sensitive to Indo-Pakistani tensions and take it into consideration when rooming guests

Fears
Fears of humiliation
Stemming from humiliation brought upon by British rule, Indians fear their great culture and Bollywood being ignored by the West
Hospitality and service industries can be careful to be respectful and admire, not insult Indian culture and Bollywood

Holidays, Festivals and Ceremonies

Holidays/Festivals
Diwali
A 5-day festival occurring between the end of September to the beginning of October
Known as the Festival of Lights
Festivities: family get-togethers, decorating homes with lights etc

Holidays/Festivals
Gandhi Jayanti
To celebrate the birth anniversary of Gandhi - “The father of the nation”
The man who led India to independence from the British Empire
Different religions gather for a prayer meeting in New Delhi

Holidays/Festivals
Hospitality and service industries must be aware of the times of these festivals and properly acknowledge

Ceremonies
Based on religion & culture
Provide a reason for relatives and friends to get together
Ceremonies include wedding, naming, house-warming ceremonies etc

Dressing

D hoti, K urta and S herwani
M ale attire in most of the western and central regions
C onsists of the d hoti and kur ta
D hoti is considered formal wear all over the country
S herwani is typically worn for special occasions
dhoti kurta sherwani

Saree
Worn by women
‘ Saree’ comes from a Sanskrit word 'sati', which means strip of cloth
The Indian Saree (or Sari) boasts of oldest existence in the sartorial world
It is more than 5000 years old
Saree

Religion
Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent
Muslim community is one of the world’s largest
As the majority of Indian associate themselves with a religion, religion tolerance is established in both law and custom
The Hindu God

Religion Religions in India (ca.2001) Religion Millions % of Population Hinduism 827.6 80.5 Muslim 138.2 13.4 Christianity 24.1 2.3 Sikhism 19.2 1.9 Buddhism 7.9 0.8 Jainism 4.2 0.4 Other 6.6 0.6 Total 1.028.6 100

Indian Food
Characterized with the use of spices, herbs and vegetables grown in India
Curry, a general variety of spiced dishes, is famous in Asian cuisine

Music
Can be traced back to the Vedic Period
The oldest form of music was used as sacred hymns
Nowadays, the Indian music is known to be performed through three modes – vocal music, instrumental music and dance.

Sports
Field Hockey
Field hockey is the National Game of India
Cricket
Cricket is the most popular sport in India

International arrival
International tourist arrivals to India of 2009 will exceed 5.5 million. And international arrivals to India will grow to over 5.9 million in 2010 and cross 6.3 million by 2011.
It also predicts that the average annual growth rate in international arrivals to India will be 5.85 per cent in the 2007-2011 period and 7.46 per cent for 2009-10.

Travelling tips*
Mid-June to mid-August is the rainy season of India. Transportation may be disrupted due to the rainstorm. Try to avoid the rainy season when you travel to India!
It is very common to see flight delay or even flight cancellation in India, be prepared!

Travelling tips*
Remember to take off your shoes in temples!
Wearing shorts or skirts is prohibited in the Muslim temples. Also, don’t enter those private areas of the temple, it would be disrespectful to do so!
Don’t use your left hands when dealing with Indians as left hands are sacred for them!

Dining tips*
Indians view cows as god or mother, never order beef in restaurants as this shows disrespectful of their culture!
Eating uncooked food is prohibited in Indian culture and also dangerous in the poor sanitation conditions. Don’t buy food from hawkers!
Indian food mostly contains curry. If you are not a fan of it, remember to specify that when you order!

Let’s start our tour in India!

Itinerary Day Breakfast Lunch Dinner Location of accommodation Hotel 1 Hong Kong --> Mumbai Mansingh 2 Buffet in hotel Buffet in hotel Buffet in hotel Jaipur 3 Buffet in hotel Buffet in hotel Buffet in hotel Agra Hotel Clark Shiraz 4 Buffet in hotel Buffet in hotel Local restaurant In the flight 5 Arrive in Hong Kong

Itinerary
Day 1: Delhi
Day 2: Delhi/Jaipur
Day 3: Jaipur
Day 4: Agra/Delhi
Day 5: Hong Kong

Jet Airways
Jet Airways is an airline based in Mumbai, India
The yellow uniform symbolizes enthusias m
Special service
Guests can call or send SMS to friends or families in the same flight free of charge.
Indian place high importance in the relationship of family

Let’s get started!

Mumbai

Gateway of India

Gateway of India
The structure of Gateway of India boasts a fascinating design, mixing a fully colonial sense of scale—bigger is better
It was made from a mixture of reinforced concrete and yellow basalt

Impact on the local tourism
The history caused impact on the tourism industry in India and this also affect the society nowadays
You can find food vendors, balloon sellers, photographers, and beggars trying to make the most of the heavy tourist presence

Mansingh Group of Hotels
Locations:
Mansingh Palace, Agre
Mansingh Palace, Ajmer
Hotel Mansingh, Jaipur
Mansingh Towers, Jaipur
Rating:
5-star
Decoration:
Traditional Indian style

Royal Weddings
Beach Weddings
Cruise Weddings
New feature – Theme weddings

Royal Weddings
The ceremonies perform in traditional Rajputana style of marriage
But unique and different palace wedding venues
In Udaipur, Devigarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Orchcha and Agra
Wedding carnival is just like a fairy tale

Beach Weddings

Cruise Weddings

Jaipur— The Pink City

Amber Fort
Best hilltop forts in India
Shows the lives of gallant Rajputs – militant, adventurous, temperamental and self-indulgent
Elephant and lotus – perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture

Symbolic meaning of elephant in India
extremely important in Indian culture
the carrier (vahana) of Indra, the King of the Gods
transport soldiers, ammunition and supplies over extremely rough terrain where men could not go alone
status symbols in some temples, in circuses, and by the forest and tourism department of the government

beautifully-dressed elephants carry visitors to the fort
usually two-seated
give fresh and adventurous journey

Impact on service industry
Protection of elephants is important as it contribute a lot to the tourism industry
A short ride with elephants to Amber Fort is always included in the tour package as it is a special kind of transportation in India
As the ride is only available when going up the hill, so other transportation like jeeps are provided when tourists leave
Although elephants are well trained, accidents may still occur. Therefore, there should be enough safety precautions to protect tourists

Hawa Mahal ( The Palace of Winds)
Famous for
reddish-pink building made of red sandstone
looks like a light, airy structure which might blow away with the slightest wind
With numerous arches, spires and a mind-boggling 953 latticed casements and small windows

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
UNESCO World Heritage Site
“ The jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of world’s heritage”
Located on the right bank of the river Yamuna
Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal
Floor plan of Taj Mahal

Mumtaz Mahal was born in 1593 and died in 1631
It took 17 years for the monument complex to complete
Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural style
Portrait of Mumtaz Mahal

Fatehpur Silkri

Fatehpur Silkri
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire’s capital from 1571 until 1585
Sikri has been mentioned in the Mahabharata as ”Saik”
All these palaces were built of red sandstone
It is prolific and versatile Indo-Muslim composite style, which is a fussion of the composite cultures of indigenous and foreign origins

Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan
The official residence of the President of India
Delhi Rashtrapati Bhavan comprises of four floors and 340 rooms
It took 18 years to construct this building and on the 18th year of its completion, India became independent

Rashtrapati Bhavan
The design of the building is grandly classical overall, with colors and details inspired by Indian architecture
These included several circular stone basins on the top of the palace, as water features are an important part of Indian architecture
There were also statues of elephants and fountain sculptures of cobras in the gardens
The dome is inspired by the Pantheon of Rome.There is also the presence of Mughal and European colonial architectural elements

A E co-friendly Tour in India

Rashtrapati Bhavan
Indian like to coexistent with nature, this characteristic enables them to sets trend for eco-friendly township
A Nature Trail was opened in the President's estate on Saturday. It aims at promoting education about natural and environmental awareness amongst students and visitors
Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate here will soon have its own sewerage treatment plant that will generate all the water needed for the huge gardens on the sprawling complex
Making organic manure from bio-degradable waste to be used in the President’s gardens

Street performance
Snakes follow the music and “dance”
“ Snake person” usually collect tips

Impact on tourism
Some Indians earn a living by performing in the street. This become a special feature in India
Such performance is forbidden in some countries due to safety reason which increase its uniqueness
Tourists had perception of this performance from film, cartoon and television
Usually, tourists are welcome to give tips to them because they know it is kind of India’s custom

This is the end of our trip!

References
Hoiberg, D. and Ramchandani, I. (2000). “Geography”. Students’ Brittanica: India. Popular Prakashan.
Kahn, J. (10 th October 2009). “Why India Fears China”. Newsweek, October 2009.
Derbyshire, I. D. (1995). World Bibliographical Series. Oxford: ABC-CLIO Ltd
Basham, A. L. (1989). A Cultural History of India. Delhi: Oxford University Press
Sengar, S. (2007). Encyclopaedia of Indian Culture. Delhi: Mehra Offset Press
Sharma, S.P. and Gupta, S. (2006). Fairs and Festivals of India . Pustak Mahal.
Lee, K. (1999). India’s Politics. Retrieved 24 th October, 2009. < http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/politics.htm >
Lee, R. (16 th January 2009). “Indo-Pakistani Wars and Conflicts”. The History Guy. Retrieved 23 rd October, 2009. < http://www.historyguy.com/indo_pakistani-wars.html >
Zuljan, R. (16 th December 2000). “Sino Indian War 1962-1963”. Wars of the World. Retrieved 19 th October
2009. < http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/ink/india/findiachina1962.htm >
Hotels Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.mansinghhotels.com/
Wedding themes Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://weddings.travelmasti.com/index.html
About C larks Shiraz Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.hotelclarksshiraz.com/
Hawa Mahal Jaipur Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.indiasite.com/rajasthan/jaipur/hawamahal.html
Indian elephant Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.honoluluzoo.org/indian_elephant.htm
Jaipur, India Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485429-jaipur_vacations-i

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